NDP Leader Jim Dinn has refused to retract comments made in the House of Assembly last week that were deemed unparliamentary language.

Dinn’s speaking rights in the House of Assembly have been revoked until he retracts the comments made last week during debate on the province’s housing situation.

Dinn was questioning comments made by Minister of Children, Seniors and Social Development suggesting that the province had created 750 new housing units in the province and subsequently repeated by others on the government side.

Dinn asked whether the statements referring to 750 new housing units were lies.

In the House today, Speaker Derek Bennett ruled that the comments were in fact unparliamentary and asked Dinn to retract it and apologize.

Dinn indicated that he regretted the words used, but he refused to retract the comments, resulting in Jim Dinn’s speaking rights in the House to be revoked until the comments are retracted.